About this blog

My name is Bill Hirt and I'm a candidate to be a Representative from the 48th district in the Washington State legislature. My candidacy stems from concern the legislature is not properly overseeing the WSDOT and Sound Transit East Link light rail program. I believe East Link will be a disaster for the entire eastside. ST will spend 5-6 billion on a transportation project that will increase, not decrease cross-lake congestion, violates federal environmental laws, devastates a beautiful part of residential Bellevue, creates havoc in Bellevue's central business district, and does absolutely nothing to alleviate congestion on 1-90 and 405. The only winners with East Link are the Associated Builders and Contractors of Western Washington and their labor unions.

This blog is an attempt to get more public awareness of these concerns. Many of the articles are from 3 years of failed efforts to persuade the Bellevue City Council, King County Council, east side legislators, media, and other organizations to stop this debacle. I have no illusions about being elected. My hope is voters from throughout the east side will read of my candidacy and visit this Web site. If they don't find them persuasive I know at least I tried.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Four Questions MI Should Ask ST About East Link

(I thought viewers might be interested
in the below email)

Dear Mercer Island City Council,

I understand the “public” will not be
allowed to “participate” in the Jan21st study session with Sound Transit on
East Link.If I had been allowed
to do so I would have asked the following questions. I look forward to
attending the meeting hoping they will “stimulate” your discussion.

Respectfully

Bill Hirt

wjhirt@yahoo.com

Why did Sound Transit never consider dividing the center roadway into
two-way bus-only lanes on the center roadway when they decided to add 4th
lanes to the outer roadways?

Bus-only lanes could accommodate up to
1000 buses an hour, many times the capacity of any light rail system.The buses could have provided commuters
with access at every east side P&R lot whereas most I-90 commuters light
rail access will be a South Bellevue station with limited capacity and
difficult access.

Why has Sound Transit delayed adding the
4th lanes to the outer roadways until 2016?

While not directly applicable to Mercer
Island commuters, ST failure to do so some 15 years ago has forced cross-lake
commuters from both sides of the lake to needlessly endure years of congestion,
particularly “reverse commuters”.It would have also eliminated the congestion purportedly justifying the
need for I-90 tolls.The
fact ST has “invested” hundreds of millions over the last 10 years on East Link
but refused to spend the relatively small amount adding the 4th lanes
demonstrates a warped sense of priorities.

Why does ST continue to insist adding 4th
lanes to the outer roadway should allow them to take “possession” of the center
roadway?The R8A
configuration in the September 2004 document (FHWA-WA-EIS-3-01-F),”
I-90 Two-Way Transit and HOV Operations Project, Record of
Decision” maintained the two center roadway lanes for buses and HOV traffic?

Mercer Island commuters should pay
particular attention to this question. Not only will congestion on the bridge
dramatically reduce their speed, their access to I-90 will likely be severely
limited by signal lights on the onramps needed because of the congestion. It’s “plausible” ST delayed adding the 4th
to the outer roadway because of concerns it would allow the center roadway to
be temporarily closed off, demonstrating the modified outer roadways didn’t
have needed capacity.

Why does Sound Transit continue to
insist East Link will have sufficient capacity to justify spending $2.8 billion
taking “possession” of the center roadway for a light rail system that will
likely consist of one two-car train with capacity for about 300 riders every 8
minutes.

Again, this limited capacity should be
of particular interest to Mercer Island commuters since their light rail
station is the last of 8 on the eastside.By the time trains reach their station they will be lucky to find a
place to stand let alone sit.

About Me

My last elective position was class president for 25 “class of ’57” seniors in Armstrong, Iowa. I received an MS in engineering at ISU, worked at Boeing for 36 years before retiring in 1998. My wife and I moved into our current home in Bellevue in 1967 where we raised two daughters. Three years of unsuccessful attempts to persuade BCC to block EL are available on “extended session” meeting minutes. Copies of many were sent to all the media outlets, legislators, and others to no avail. I’m hoping this Web site will convince east side residents to query their own legislators.